The invention relates to a battery gripper for picking up by suction and handling starter batteries, in particular for picking up by suction and handling starter batteries of motor vehicles. The invention also relates to a gripping system comprising a tube lifter, an operating device for a tube lifter, at least a first vacuum source and a battery gripper of this kind.
Conventionally, vacuum grippers comprise a housing in which a vacuum chamber to which a vacuum can be applied is provided, the housing comprising, on the suction side thereof that faces the workpiece, suction openings having a suction cross section, the suction side being associated with a flexible lining which contacts the workpiece.
Vacuum grippers of this kind can be used in particular for grasping or lifting objects, for example stable flat materials, e.g. boards or plates, or smaller objects such as tins, tubs, dishes or the like. The vacuum grippers comprise the flexible lining for this purpose, which lining contacts a top face of the objects to be gripped.
Owing to growing power requirements in motor vehicles and to start-stop systems which are becoming increasingly widespread, starter batteries in motor vehicles are becoming ever larger and thus also heavier. Therefore people replacing or moving starter batteries in car manufacturing or industries closely related to cars are also facing increasing physical strain.
Owing to the structure thereof, starter batteries are very compact and are therefore often heavy. Moreover, conventionally, the surfaces of starter batteries do not have a continuously smooth outer contour, and therefore interference contours make it more difficult to pick up by suction or grip starter batteries.
In general, starter batteries are stored on pallets or in boxes, said batteries being packed tightly together meaning that a grip can only be formed in spaces between starter batteries with difficulty. Therefore, up to now, starter batteries have been moved manually by means of a hook or claw such that it is possible to grip the starter batteries by the side of the battery. For this purpose, however, it is first necessary to shift the starter batteries out of position by hand.